Plas Newydd team unearths historic hidden gem

* The old pumping house uncovered in the Glen at Plas Newydd.

* The pipework is still visible.

A special project at the world-famous home of the Ladies of Llangollen aims to restore a fascinating piece of engineering history.  

The Our Picturesque Landscape project along with site manager Paul Evans are at work in the Glen area within the grounds of Pas Newydd to reinstate the hydraulic ram pump building which originally powered water up to the garden at the back of the historic house. 

The pumping system was installed by General John Yorke of Erddig when he owned Plas Newydd in the 1890s to provide a fresh water supply.

The restoration, which has been funded by Cadwyn Clwyd, is part of a wider volunteer training scheme that has included the restoration of over 50 metres of retaining stone wall, the installation of stepping stones across the Afon Cyflymen as well as pitch-paving to reduce the slipperiness on the summerhouse steps.

* Some of the artefacts uncovered during the excavation. 

Paul Evans said: "The Covid pandemic put a stop to all volunteer involvement and so plans were brought forward to repair the ram building instead. 

"No photos, pictures or illustrations exist revealing what the building originally looked like so the project invited people throughout the area to help with research on social media. 

"As a result, a number of people came forward, all saying that it was shaped like a stone-domed igloo about five feet high with a little window and door. 

"The information provided by the public was a major input to the research needed for the project and enabled the team to plan for the restoration confidently."

Paul added: "The first stages were to dig out the compacted vegetation infill that had built up around and inside the building since the 1960s. 

"As part of this uncovering process, the intact workings were revealed at the bottom, which was a real highlight and means that the original pump which has been kept dry for many years in the garages at Plas Newydd can be returned to its rightful place at some point soon. 

* The 1970s sweet wrappers unearthed.

"It is hoped that one day maybe this form of early green energy can be restored as a working feature.

"The pipework is still evident running from the weir to the ram pump building. It is work in progress but is due to be completed by March 2021."

Paul says the water supply was drawn from the stream via a weir upstream and from there  was fed by gravity via iron pipes, some of which are still surviving, to a hydraulic ram pump which in turn supplied water to the back of the main house via iron pipes. 

This pump was situated in a stone built dome the remains of which can still be seen.

During the current excavation works a number of interesting artefacts have been unearthed such as old bottles, a horseshoe and an old shoe. 

Also uncovered were sweet and crisp wrappers from the 1970s which Paul says Plas Newydd will be able to use for future projects on non-biodegradable waste.

* Also discovered were a horseshoe, a bottle 

screwtop and remains of a shoe.

Healthcare workers "come together as one" on vaccination programme

Wales’s healthcare workforce are coming “together as one” to ensure Wales’ COVID-19 vaccination programme rolls out as quickly as is safe to do, the Health Minister (pictured) has said.

This comes as the first pharmacies in Wales begin to administer COVID-19 vaccines, with a pilot starting in Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board today (Friday).

Vaughan Gething said: “We are in the early stages of delivering the largest vaccination programme Wales has ever seen and the sheer scale of what has been achieved so far, and continues to happen, should not be underestimated.

“The roll-out of these vaccines to everyone eligible adult in Wales as quickly as if safe to do so is truly an example, once again, of our inspiring healthcare workforce coming together as one. 

“A mix of vaccination sites and centres have been selected to ensure everyone across the country has equal access to a vaccination. People can be expected to be asked to attend either a mass or community centre, hospital, GP practice, pharmacy or mobile unit.

“Just because there isn’t a type of service near to you, this does not mean any less is happening.

“Safety is of course at the fore of all that our Health Boards and staff do, but we have also worked to ensure our vaccination locations meet the needs of the characteristics of the vaccines and are as conveniently located as possible for the community it will serve.

“Your local pharmacist may not be offering the jab just yet, but they may very well be working all hands-on-deck at your local mass vaccination centre instead.

“Conversely, mass vaccination centres aren’t suitable for every local authority so you may be asked to attend a community or mobile centre.

“We also want people to feel comfortable to be vaccinated and to do this as conveniently as possible too, especially for those most at risk from the harms of coronavirus. This means using GP practices for a lot of our national delivery and they will be a key focus as the roll-out progresses.

“I cannot stress enough; your local health care workforce are doing absolutely everything they can, and to them I am immensely thankful.

“When it is your turn, you will be notified of where to go. Please do not call your GP or health services to request a COVID-19 vaccine and add undue pressure to their workloads.”

Pharmacy settings are being piloted - similar to how care homes were in the initial stages - to establish the quickest, safest way to deliver vaccinations in these specific settings as they are much different and varied compared to GP surgeries and the bigger vaccination centres.

Fferyllfa Llŷn Cyf in Llanbedrog, which falls under the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area, is the first in Wales to offer the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine from a pharmacy setting.

Pharmacist Llyr Hughes of Fferyllwyr Llŷn Cyf said: “We are incredibly proud to be the first pharmacy in Wales to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine and are keen to do all we can to support the Health Board and Welsh Government accelerate the roll out of the programme.

“Our aim is to work together with the Mass Vaccination Centres, GP practices and community pharmacies to deliver the largest vaccination programme the NHS has ever seen.

“Pharmacists play a huge role in vaccinating against flu on a yearly basis and have the skills and expertise to provide the new immunisations.

“I’m looking forward to seeing pharmacies across Wales play a big part in helping to protect our communities as the programme expands.”

Llangollen Health Centre sends out update on coronavirus vaccine situation

Llangollen Health Centre has taken to Facebook this morning (Friday) to give an update on the coronavirus vaccine situation.

It says: "This is the current situation regarding vaccines. All our staff are trained.

"Last week we received and administered 100 doses of the Oxford vaccine. This week we have received 70 doses and by the end of today we will have administered those too.

"Over the next fortnight we are due to receive a further 400 doses which will be enough to vaccinate all our patients aged 80 and over.

"We will be contacting patients by phone as and when the vaccines come in to arrange an appointment.

"As yet GP practices in North Wales have not been contracted to vaccinate further eligible groups and we await instructions from the health board regarding what happens next."

International travellers to Wales will need to provide negative Covid test

Passengers arriving into Wales from all international destinations will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result before departing to help protect against new strains of coronavirus circulating internationally, Health Minister, Vaughan Gething has confirmed.

From 4am Monday January 18, inbound passengers arriving by boat, plane or train from countries outside the Common Travel Area (UK, Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) will have to take a test up to 72 hours before departing the country they are in, to help protect against the new strains of coronavirus such as those seen in Brazil, Denmark and South Africa.

The introduction of the measures is in response to the changes seen in the transmission of the virus both in in the UK and across the globe.

Mr Gething says pre-departure testing will provide an additional layer of safety from imported cases of coronavirus on top of the mandatory 10 day quarantine for arrivals, helping identify people who may currently be infectious and preventing them from travelling to Wales.

A negative pre-departure test reduces the risk of someone travelling whilst infectious, acting as another safeguard to prevent imported infections.

Passengers arriving from countries not on the Welsh Government’s Travel Corridor list must continue to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their pre-departure test result, to provide further robust protection from those travelling from high-risk countries.

Prior to departure, passengers will need to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result to carriers, as well as their Passenger Locator Form.

The move further bolsters existing protective measures which helped to safely enable international travel last year, with self-isolation for new arrivals and Travel Corridors remaining critical in reducing the risk of imported cases from high-risk countries.

Vaughan Gething said: “We are doing everything we can to slow down the spread of the virus.

“These new measures will help ensure we prevent new strains of the virus developing internationally from being imported into Wales.

“We are already asking passengers returning from high-risk countries to self-isolate for 10 days and these requirements remain in place.

“Added to the requirement to self-isolate, pre-departure tests will provide a further line of defence - helping us control the virus as we continue to roll-out the vaccine at pace.”

Alert Level 4 lockdown restrictions, which came into force on 18 December 2020, remain in place meaning everyone must stay at home unless travelling for a very limited set of reasons, including for work.

Travelling for a holiday is not permitted under alert level 4, whether that is in Wales, elsewhere in the UK or overseas.

Tip campaigner submits 800-signature petition to county

* The Pavilion car park where the pop-recycling facility is normally sited. 

The Llangollen resident campaigning for the return of a full-time recycling site to serve the area has now sent in an 800-signature petition to county council chiefs backing his argument.

Phil Jones said: "Yesterday I submitted our recycling campaign petition to Denbighshire County Council (DCC). 

"In just six weeks we secured over 800 signatures in support of our call for access to the Plas Madoc recycling site.

"I think this is a measure of the frustration and anger felt by the community that daily access to a recycling facility requires a 30-mile round trip to Ruthin, when we have one on our doorstep at Plas Madoc."

He added: "In my opinion, this level of support is a clear indication that no tinkering with times and booking systems at the Pavilion pop-up will properly address our recycling needs. 

"I have asked the Chief Executive of DCC for an update on the negotiations with Wrexham CBC. 

"I hope that both she and our county councillors now understand the strength of feeling that we are not getting a proper service and we are fast approaching 12 months since this issue was raised."

Coronavirus latest from the Welsh Government

Latest coronavirus update from the Welsh Government (dated yesterday) is:

·       Letters about Wales’ Covid-19 vaccination programme will shortly begin to arrive at the front door of every household in Wales: https://gov.wales/every-household-receive-vaccination-information

·         A statement from Wales’ public services urging people to stay at home and save lives has been published: https://gov.wales/please-stay-home-protect-nhs-and-save-lives 

·         The Welsh Government’s Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) has helped protect 63 jobs at Wrexham manufacturer Isringhausen GB Limited: https://gov.wales/economic-resilience-fund-vital-protecting-more-60-jobs-wrexham-company 

·         The latest Technical Advisory Cell summary report is published at: https://gov.wales/technical-advisory-cell-summary-advice-8-january-2021 

·         Temporary changes have been made to some national minimum standards to help childcare providers to remain open: https://gov.wales/childcare-national-minimum-standards-reintroduction-temporary-relaxations-until-30-june and https://gov.wales/childcare-national-minimum-standards-reintroduction-temporary-relaxations-until-30-june 

·         Updated: Frequently asked questions alert level four lockdown https://gov.wales/alert-level-4-frequently-asked-questions 

Coronavirus in numbers

·         The latest figures published by Public Health Wales today show there have been 1,644 newly reported cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 176,056 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Wales since the start of the pandemic.

o   Very sadly, there were 54 deaths reported by Public Health Wales today. The total number of deaths reported by Public Health Wales is 4,117.

o   These figures are updated daily at: https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary

·         The number of people who have received a Covid vaccine in Wales is being published every weekday by Public Health Wales.

o   112,973 people have received their first dose of the vaccine

o   121 people have received two doses of the vaccine

o   https://public.tableau.com/profile/public.health.wales.health.protection#!/vizhome/RapidCOVID-19virology-Public/Headlinesummary 

What to do if you have symptoms of coronavirus

·         The symptoms of coronavirus are a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change in smell or taste.

·         If you have symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, you must self-isolate at home for 10 days from when your symptoms started.

·         Guidance about self-isolating: https://gov.wales/self-isolation-stay-home-guidance-households-possible-coronavirus

o   Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

o   You should arrange to have a test to see if you have coronavirus once you are self-isolating. You can book a test at https://gov.wales/apply-coronavirus-covid-19-test

o   You should continue to isolate while waiting for a test result.

·         Got a question about what to do if you’ve got coronavirus? Visit https://gov.wales/self-isolation-stay-home-guidance-households-possible-coronavirus
 

Where to find the latest information

·         Information about the new national measures in place in Wales is available at: https://gov.wales/alert-level-4

·         Public Health Wales provides a daily update about the number of cases of coronavirus in Wales. It is available at: https://covid19-phwstatement.nhs.wales/

·         Information about coronavirus is available on the Welsh Government’s website at https://gov.wales/coronavirus and https://llyw.cymru/coronafeirws

·         Questions about Covid-19 vaccines? Visit: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/covid-19-vaccination-information/

·         Information about support for businesses is available at the Business Wales website https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/

·         The Welsh Government holds a regular media briefing about coronavirus. These are on-the-record, on-camera and supported by a BSL interpreter. These are held at 12.15pm and live-streamed on our @WelshGovernment Twitter channel.

o   Dr Frank Atherton, Wales’ chief medical officer and Dr Andrew Goodall, chief executive of NHS Wales, held Wednesday’s press conference. You can watch it again at: https://twitter.com/WelshGovernment/status/1349329059185008640

County says it will look at Castle Street potholes

* Above and below, some of the worst potholes in Castle Street.

Denbighshire County Council has commented on the numerous potholes which have developed along the length of Castle Street.

The holes - at least one of which on the bridge is very deep - have become worse as the winter has progressed.

llanblogger sent pictures of a collection of them to the county council asking when they are likely to be dealt with.

A council spokesperson replied: "We will send an officer to look at the road to see if any safety defects require immediate action.

“Regarding a longer-term solution we have set aside money in our capital budget for resurfacing works on Castle Street.

“However, we have been holding off from delivering this work because as a council we are currently developing proposals for Castle Street as part of the Llangollen 2020 project, which we are working on in conjunction with Llangollen Town Council and the local county councillors. 

"Should this scheme get the necessary approvals, it would enable us to deliver a much wider improvement scheme in that area which will incorporate the resurfacing work. If those approvals are not forthcoming, we will proceed with the resurfacing work alone.”

* READER'S LETTER

Former Llangollen county councillor Stuart Davies has submitted the following letter on the subject ...

"I am disgusted with the lack of maintenance of Castle St by the county. 

"It would appear that a vanity project (2020) is holding up regular maintenance there! 

"When I left DCC we left in place a budget to refurb Castle St in 2017, preliminary plans included revised and improved on-street parking arrangements. 

"The money was there ready to go. Then the vanity project came along and disrupted the plans and we are now seeing the results of the inaction of our elected representatives! 

"That money allocated will have been spent elsewhere! Nearly four years have gone by and all we seen is expensive consultations and plans that don't materialise. In fact the only thing that we have seen is potholes that don't get repaired, removal of parking that damages businesses and silly ugly barriers that people fall over and break limbs! Well done Cllrs!"